Tonight's Portsmouth Town Council meeting is likely to be a critical one for the embattled sewer project for the North End of Town, at least as far as this year's proposed ballot is concerned.

If you've been following the story in the ProJo, DEM chief Michael Sullivan expressed concerns to the Council last week about Common Fence Point, and why it had not been initially included in the facilities plan, as well as what he characterized as the "aggressive timetable."

"It wouldn’t have been the timetable I would have chosen," Sullivan said, "but we want to be as supportive and cooperative as we can" of the council's efforts to get the bond issue passed.

If voters do not approve sewers, however, DEM is prepared to "use a heavy hand to go house by house and lot by lot to try to address this in piecemeal fashion."
— via ProJo

I must confess, I'm puzzled and dismayed by Mr. Sullivan's reported comments. I've been at just about every meeting, and I know — because I have seen them — that his key staff members, Jay Manning or Angelo Liberti have been at many, so his sudden surprise that CFP wasn't part of the facilities plan is just weird. (Although Town Planner Bob Gilstein said at the last meeting that he would work with Woodard & Curran to extend their analysis to include it.)

Here's the agenda filed with the Secretary of State:
1. Wastewater update
2. Reconsideration of the Council's vote to authorize the sewer bond referendum

I'm not sure what's going to happen tonight, but whether you're pro or con, I think this is the meeting you won't want to miss.